CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charleston Southern safety Hombre Kennedy was named as one of two 2022 recipients of the Bob McCloskey Insurance Big South Graduate Fellowship the league office announced Tuesday. He was joined by Gardner-Webb's soccer player Anna Fish as this year's honorees.

BACKGROUND INFO
The Big South Conference Graduate Fellowship Program was established by the league in the Fall of 2005 as a means of recognizing the academic excellence of Big South Conference student-athletes who intend to pursue postgraduate studies upon graduation from a Big South Conference institution.

Bob McCloskey Insurance, a Big South Corporate Partner, will award $2,000 each to Kennedy and Fish for their respective graduate studies June 1 as part of the conference's annual Spring Awards Dinner Banquet at The Westin Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

KENNEDY ON THE FIELD
The Summerville, South Carolina, native earned All-Big South Second Team and All-Big South Academic Team accolades in 2021 after setting a career high with three interceptions, all against conference opponents. He accumulated 57 return yards on the team-best total, which also tied him for third among his league peers.

He had at least one past break-up in six games, including multiple in Big South matchups against Monmouth and Hampton. He finished the campaign with 11 passes defended to go along with 43 total tackles (23 solo).

AND IN THE CLASSROOM AND COMMUNITY
Kennedy completed his bachelor's degree earlier this month with a 3.667 GPA as a business administration-entrepreneurship major. He plans to pursue a general management MBA at CSU while returning to the field this fall.

He started his collegiate career as an invited walk-on before earning a scholarship during his second semester. He landed on the Dean's List six times and was a two-time selection to the Presidential Honor Roll.

In addition to serving as a team captain in 2021, he assumed the role of president for the Student Advisory Council in January 2022, a year after he joined the organization's board as its vice president.

He has served as the vice president of the Uplifting Athletes local chapter, helping the organization fund and support rare disease research around the world. He also has spent time at Cane Bay Middle School as a mentor and has been an intern in management with Loft Outlet since August 2021.

NOMINATION CRITERIA
Nominations for the Graduate Fellowship are made by the Faculty Athletics Representative or the Chief Academic Officer at a Big South member institution, and are limited to one male and one female at each school.  To qualify for the Big South Conference Graduate Fellowship, applicants must have the following requirements:

• Have an overall undergraduate cumulative grade-point average of 3.500 or better based on a maximum 4.000, or the equivalent in other recognized grading systems; 
• Have competed in intercollegiate athletics as a member of a varsity team at a Big South Conference member institution; 
• Must be either a graduating senior during the academic year of the award, or be enrolled in a graduate program at a Big South Conference institution while completing the last year of eligibility; 
• Intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree and enroll into a graduate degree program at a properly accredited, non-profit educational institution or into a post-baccalaureate professional degree program at a professionally accredited law school, medical school or the equivalent, without restriction as to the national site of the institution; 
• Have evidenced superior character and superior leadership;
• Have demonstrated that participation in athletics and community service has been a positive influence on the nominee's personal and intellectual development. Relative success in athletics is important but not of overriding significance;
• Enroll in a graduate degree program the term subsequent to being awarded the fellowship or present a rationale for deferred matriculation.